(א)... (שם) ויבא ירושלם ויעמד לפני יקוק ויעל עולות ושלמים ויעש משתה לכל עבדיו א"ר יצחק מכאן שעושין סעודה לגמרה של תורה:
(1)..."'The people of Jerusalem came to stand before God, and [the king] offered burnt and peace offerings and made a feast for all his servants' - Rabbi Yitzchak said: This shows that one makes a feast when completing the Torah."
Putting the Torah in Simchat Torah
(טו) וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ן יְשֻׁרוּן֙ וַיִּבְעָ֔ט שָׁמַ֖נְתָּ עָבִ֣יתָ כָּשִׂ֑יתָ וַיִּטֹּשׁ֙ אֱל֣וֹהַ עָשָׂ֔הוּ וַיְנַבֵּ֖ל צ֥וּר יְשֻׁעָתֽוֹ׃ (טז) יַקְנִאֻ֖הוּ בְּזָרִ֑ים בְּתוֹעֵבֹ֖ת יַכְעִיסֻֽהוּ׃ (יז) יִזְבְּח֗וּ לַשֵּׁדִים֙ לֹ֣א אֱלֹ֔הַ אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֹ֣א יְדָע֑וּם חֲדָשִׁים֙ מִקָּרֹ֣ב בָּ֔אוּ לֹ֥א שְׂעָר֖וּם אֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ (יח) צ֥וּר יְלָדְךָ֖ תֶּ֑שִׁי וַתִּשְׁכַּ֖ח אֵ֥ל מְחֹלְלֶֽךָ׃
(15) But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked— Thou didst wax fat, thou didst grow thick, thou didst become gross— And he forsook God who made him, And contemned the Rock of his salvation. (16) They roused Him to jealousy with strange gods, With abominations did they provoke Him. (17) They sacrificed unto demons, no-gods, Gods that they knew not, New gods that came up of late, Which your fathers dreaded not. (18) Of the Rock that begot thee thou wast unmindful, And didst forget God that bore thee.
This passage, from Moses' final poem/speech, is from the parshah Ha'Azinu (in English "listen") following Yom Kippur preceding Simchat Torah. It is written in the present tense. What is the significance of this choice to you? Why might it be said immediately in the parshah following Yom Kippur?
(ד) תּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת יַעֲקֹֽב׃
(4) Moses commanded us a law, An inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.
This is found in the final parshah in the Torah, Ve-zo't Ha-Berakhah (in English "this is the blessing"). What is there in this passuk that conveys the essence of Torah for us? In what ways does this connect you to our educational vision? Why is this read on Simchat Torah? What significance does it hold for you?
(יג) רבי יהודה אומר, הוי זהיר בתלמוד , ששגגת תלמוד עולה זדון.רבי שמעון אומר, שלשה כתרים הם, כתר תורה וכתר כהנה וכתר מלכות, וכתר שם טוב עולה על גביהן.
(13) Rabbi Yehuda said: Be careful when teaching, for your errors in teaching are considered as intentional transgression. Rabbi Shimon said: There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood and the crown of the monarchy - but the crown of a good name outweighs them all.
Who wears the three crowns? What is the significance of the crown we all wear (the crown of Torah)? What does it mean to have a good name to you? How does that relate to the other three crowns?